Device for plugging pipes



Jan. 13, 1931. Q W, ROSWELL l 1,789,024

DEVICE FOR PLUGGING PIPEs Filed Nov. 1'7. 1928 l YI. l n

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' Patented Jan. 1 3, 1931A UNITED STATES PATENT) OFFICE OTTO W. ROSWELL,OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA nEvIcE :son rLUGGINe PIrEs Application ledNovember 17, 1928. Serial No. 320,195.

This invention relates to devices for plugging pipes and has as itsgeneral object to provide a device which may be conveniently emloyed byplumbers, steamfitters, gasiitters, and other workmen, for the purposevof plugging a pipe when it becomes necessary to sever a supply lineeither in .installation work or repair work or .for the purpose ofthreading the pipe or establishingsome other type, of connection of the`pipe with another pipesor fixture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plugging device theplugging element of which may be readily and instantly fitted into theend of a pipe to be plugged and immediately expanded so as to completelyclose and seal the pipe and'prevent the escape of gas, water, or anyother fluid or liquid which issupplied through the pipe.

Another object of the Ainvention is to provide a pipe plugging deviceincluding an expansible plugging element and means oper' able instantlyto expand the said element, the means being so constructed that whenoperated to effect expansion of the element it it will maintain itsposition of adjustment until reversely operated, thus adapting the,

device to be quickly fitted into a pipe to be plugged and` adjusted toplug and seal the pipe and maintain the same sealed so long as is foundnecessary by the workman using the same, the invention further con#templatingy soconstructigthe expanding means for the plug that by thereverse adjustment, referredfto, iit maybe permitted t'o instantlycontract and thus be instantly removable from the pipe when desired.Another object .o the invention is to providefa pipe plugging deviceembodying an 7expansible pluggmgelementso mounted that f afnumber ofelements of different external diameters may be `provided 'andsubstituted one for another thus adapting-the device ffo'r useinplugging pipes of different diameters. VAnother object of the inventionis to provide a pipe" pluggin device possessing the y characteristicsand a vant'ages above recited and' which'rdevieewill be extremely simplein construction and highly eiiicient in operation; and not subject todisplacement or' disarrangement of its parts when in position plugging apipe.

-While the accompanying drawings and the description which is t'ofollow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of 56 theinvention, it will be understood that various changes may bemade Withinthe scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device-em- 00 Figure 4 is a', verticaltransverse sectional 7 view taken substantially on the line 4--4 ofFigure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; l

Figure 5 is a similar View on the ,line

5-5 of Figure3 looking in the direction in- 75 dicated by the arrow. s

The device embodying the invention includes, in its Structure, a 'stemwhich is indicated in general by the numeral lsand which may be of anysuitable metal and this 3 stem is provided at one end with a hand knob 2and is threaded at its other end as indicated by the numeral 3. Thest'em is formed, intermediate its ends, with a flat Sided, substantiallycircular boss indicated 85 by the numeral 4 which is provided cent-rallys with a transverse opening indicatedby lthe numeral 5, the portions ofthe stem at the opposite sidesof the boss o r in ot 'er words theportions between the'boss and the ends of 9 the stem being ofthev-ff-same and uniform diameter and cylindrical in cross section. Thestem just described constitutesfa supporting means for the expansibleplug eiement and themeans which is provided for 95 eifecting expansionthereof,l as will'y now be explained. 1 i 1 The expansible plug elementis indicated by the numeral 6 and the same is preferably of soft rubberand comprises a'cylindricallm be fitted more or less snugly upon thatend of E AAt this,- the plug ody is subjected to lon 'tudinal u the stem1 uplon which the threads 3 are formed, a was er 8 being likewise fittedonto the threaded end of the stem and bearing againstthe outer end ofthe plug body, and a nut 9 being adjustably threaded onto this end ofthe stem and adjustable to bind against the washer and hold the washer,against movement, in different positions of adjustment alon the ortionof the stem to which it is fitte al slight adjustment only being,however, necessary.

oint it will be evident that, when compression, it, being of soft ruber, will have its intermediate portion expanded or bul d and thereforeits diameter correspondin y increased, andthe means provided for eecting such expansion of the plug body includes a sleeve 10 which isslidably mounted upon that portion of the stem 1 which is locatedbetween' the boss 4 and the threaded end 3, this stem being provided atitsforward end with an outstanding circumscribing flange 11 againstwhich the inner end' of the plug body abuts. At its rear or inner end,the sleeve 10 isformed with a flat sided extension 12 having recesses 13formed thereinl at opposlte sides thereof and it will be observed byreference to Figure 2 that the inner end .walls'of the recesses, whichare indicated by the numeral 14, are of arcuate form. It will beobserved by reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings that thewasher 48 and iian'ge 11 are of a diameter less than the diameter.v ofthe plug body 6 in the contracted condition of said body so that theseparts cannot come in contact `with the interior surface ofthe pipe to beplu ged and in no way interfere with the insertion of the plug and the,end of the stem upon which is mounted, intothe p1 Y qghe means foreffecting expansion` of the plug body 6 further includes a leverfor,effect-l ing sliding movement of the sleeve 10 along the portionofthestem. 1 upon; which it is -mounted so that the sleeve may exertressure against the inner end of the plug ody and the body expanded dueto the pressure exerted and the abutment of its outer or for; ward endagainstkthegrelatively fixed washer 8. The means provided foractuatingfthe sleeve 10 to effect compression and consequent expansionofthe plug bod comprises a lever 15 which may be stampe from sheet metaland this lever preferably comprises a body or hand grip portion "16which'is preferably substantially semi-cylindrical so as to adapt it Yginal the point of location of the boss 4 and a rivet 18 is securedthrough openings formed in said ears 17 and through the opening 5 formedin the boss 4'of the ,stem 1 and constitutes a pivot about which thelever may be swung to assume either the inactive or released positionshown in Figure 2 or the active position shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 ofthe drawings. As shown most clearly in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings,the ears 17 have substantially the margina'l outline of an ellipse: sothat their margins are eccentric to the pivot 18, the pivot being solocated that one side margin of each ear will be located relativelycloseto the pivot as indicated by the numeral 19, whereas the endmargins' of each ear, indicated by the numeral 20,\will be located moreremote from the pivot and, as shown in Figure 2, when the lever 15 is ininactive position, the marportions 19 of the. two ears 17 will be inengagement against the arcuate inner end walls 14 of the recesses 13 andat this time the sleeve 10 will be in an inwardly or rearwardly shiftedposition as illustrated in the said Figureu2 and the plug body 6 will becontracted thus adapting the device to be inserted into' a pipe to beplugged, the pipe being shown in broken lines in Figures 2 and 3 of thedrawings.I `However when the lever 15 is swung about the pivot 18, theeccentric edge portions of the ears 17 of the lever will ride againstythe said arcuate inner end walls 14 of the recesses 13 in the inner endofthe sleeve 10, and, due to the eccentric disposition of the edges ofthe ears 17, the-sleeve 10 will be forced forwardly alon the stem 1 andthe plug body will be longitudinally compressed thus eecting itsexpansion to `substantially the form shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the,

shown in Figure 3, to cause the eccentric 7 marginal portions of theears 17 of the-said lever to ride against the portion of the sleeve1Ofaga1nstwhich they abut t-hus effecting .shifting of the sleeve and animmediate expansion, circumferentially, ofthe plug body 6 to` seal andclose the pipe, andat this point it will be apparent that in thisposition of the lever, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the same l willextend alongand in embracing relation to that portionfof the stem v,isllo- `cated betweentheboss e aud-hand Yknob 2 and inasmuch as, in thisposition of the lever, the higher points ofthe end marginal portions 2Oofthe ears 17 will be in engagement against the arcuate inner end walls1 4-of the recesses 13 in the inner end of the sleeve 10, the-tendency'of the body 6 to contract and therefore the force exerted lon'tudinally' against the sleeve l0 tending to sli e the same inwardly orrearwardly along the stem 1,Q

will result in aloclting'of the parts-softbal: there `can be -noaccidental displacement of the lever to permit such `'movementof thesleeve as would allow for contraction of the plug body and therefore thedevice', `adjusted f in the manner stated, may be left in p'lacelin. thepipeso long as isnecessary to permit of On the other hand, when it isdesired to remove'the plugging device from the pipe,

'A to swing the hand' lever 15 outwardly tothe plug body will positionshown in Fioure 2A whereupon the immediately contract due to theresiliency or elasticity of the material of which it is formed, thuspermitting 'of-inf stant removal of the device from the pipe.

It will be understood that nut 9 from the threaded end plug. body of onediameter may be removed from the said stemand a plug body of a larger orsmaller diameter may be substitutedy therefor depending upon theinternal diameter of the'pipeto be plugged, and it will also be evidentthat inasmuch as the stem is threaded for a suicient portion of itslength Y to permit of considerable adjustment of the nut 9, plug bodiesof different lengths may be readily substituted for one another.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:- 1. A device forplugging pipes comprising a stemfan abutment upon the stem, an elasticplug body mounted upon the stem by removing the of the stem 1, a

and engaging against the abutment, a "sleeve body at the side thereofopposite the side which engages against the abutment and con- `to thestituting means for-longitudinally com ressing the said body andcircumferentially expanding the same when the sleeve 'is' moved alongthe stem in vthe direction of the abutment` meansupon the stem coactingwith the said sleeveand adjustable to effect longitudinal movement` AofVthe sleeve upon" the comprising a lever havingr spaced ears straddlingt-he stein, means pivotally connecting the ears with the stem, 'the earshaving marginal portions eccentric pivot and the said sleeve havingcurves seating portions against whi ch the said cccentric edges of theears abut, the lever being 'of approximately semi-c lindrical formwhereby to provide for its isposition in poitis only necessary vwhen theportions-on the edges of the ears which are remote from the pivot are inensition embracing a side of the 'stem when the portions of the edges ofthe ears which are remote from' the pivot 'are nvengagement with thesaid ortionsy ofthe sleeve.

2. A device or plugging pipes comprislng an elon ated stem havinganabutment at one end an a'knob at the opposite end, an elastic plugbodymounted on the stem with one end thereof in en a sleeve slidabyhmounted upon the stem havinga flange atene end for engaging agalnstthe. other end ofthe plug, the opposite end ofthe sleeve being provided,with/bearing faces, ,a lever rockabl mounted 'upon the stem at a pointinterme iate its ends provided with ears straddlingthe stem havingmarginal portions eccentric to the pivot for en- 'agingthe bearing facesof the. sleeve, the ever eing of approximately semi-cylindrical fermwhereby toprovide .forits disposition in position embracing a side ofthe stem gagement with said Lbearing faces of the Zorro w. RoswELL.

ement with the abutment,A

